Jerome Gambit Book (Part 8)

 

                                     

A summary

From Part 1

Bill Wall, whose games and comments have graced many posts on this blog, recently informed me of a book on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) at archive.org...

The cover indicates the book is by "Chess Notes", although the first of that name that comes to mind is Edward Winter's "Chess Notes" - and I seriously doubt that this is Winter's work. I have emailed him about this, and will share his response. 

 As we have seen in Part 7

...I have received word from Mr. Winter, who says the book is not his work.

Further, in Part 2

As mentioned in the earlier post, the following game from the book features "W So" playing the Jerome Gambit against "Delmonico" in the "N Eljanov Memorial final 6th 2021"...

I suspect that if the reference is to Wesley So, an American grandmaster rated over 2750, if he had played a Jerome Gambit it would be notable, and it would have been covered on chess sites all over the internet - yet that has not happened. (Especially since Stockfish 16.1 assesses the final position as about 4 1/4 pawns better for Black.) I have messaged Mr. So about this, and will share his response.

From the entry in Wikipedia

Wesley Barbossa So (born October 9, 1993) is a Filipino and American chess grandmaster, a three-time U.S. Chess Champion, and the first World Fischer Random Chess Champion. He is also a three-time Philippine Chess Champion. On the March 2017 FIDE rating list, he was ranked number two in the world and had an Elo rating of 2822, making him the fifth-highest-rated player in history.

I recently heard back from Mr. So, who wrote, unsurprisingly

Total BS these chess ebooks. No such tournament that I know of and if there is I never played in it nor used that gambit. Have a nice day.

Returning to Part 1

Many of the notes to the games within are by "Kitty Kat", otherwise unidentified. A Chess.com robot entity? I don't know.

As Bill Wall recently wrote to me

This Kitty Kat guy wrote in one of his books that he plays corr. chess and seems to be American.

What can I say, now?

Here, kitty, kitty! Here, kitty, kitty! 

Jerome Gambit: Just Like That

GeNer4tion_KiLL - mahan9191

Streamer Arena August '25, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 d6 

Blackburne's defense, an offer of a Rook. I think that the game is ultimately a draw, but there are complications along the way.

8.Qxh8 Qh4 

9.d4 Qxe4+ 10.Be3 Bb6 

Black would do better with 10...Qxg2, to counter White's aggression. 

11.Qxh7+ Black resigned

Black is down an exchange and a couple of pawns. His King is in danger, while White's King is not.

Jerome Gambit: Leads to A Highly Complex Position

 

In 900 Miniatures of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, Eduardo Piza writes

When discussing the merits of a particular move, it is important to consider not only its immediate impact but also its long-term consequences. A move that may appear to be a poor decision at the time may, in fact, be a strategic error that leads to a highly complex position where it is likely that one of the players (or both) will end up making a mistake. This is precisely what occurs when a gambit is proposed. A move that is not entirely accurate is deliberately made, which introduces an inequality into the position, creating a high degree of difficulty and making it unlikely that the opponent will find the optimal defense

Piza has in mind the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxd4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3, but he might just as well have been talking about the Jerome Gambit,  1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+. 

Jerome Gambit Book (Part 7)

 

I have an update concerning an ongoing chess mystery.

As I wrote in "Jerome Gambit Book (Part 1)"

Bill Wall, whose games and comments have graced many posts on this blog, recently informed me of a book on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) at archive.org...

The cover indicates the book is by "Chess Notes", although the first of that name that comes to mind is Edward Winter's "Chess Notes" - and I seriously doubt that this is Winter's work. I have emailed him about this, and will share his response. 

Having expanded upon the topic further - see Parts 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 - I can now report that I have received word from Mr. Winter, who says the book is not his work.

He further points out that there is a slew of e-books (146) identified as being by "Chess Notes". They can be seen at the Internet Archive,  both game collections and ECO-style tables. 

Both book formats transcend the "database dump" label, including diagrams, for example (see below), and formatting; although they still have occasional repetitions in the game introductions that are indicative of merged databases, done without the necessary culling.  

Although the books are mostly concerned with individual openings, some focus on particular maestri - Bird, Firouzja, Gukesh, Dommaraju, Maghsoodloo, Muzychuk, Svidler, Wei and Yip.

Some of the books report on tournaments - Moscow 1935, Chennai 2024, Qatar Masters 2024, US Chess Masters 2024, Djerba Chess Festival 2025, Monaco Women's FIDE Grand Prix 2025, Nikosia Women's FIDE Grand Prix, and Tata Steel 2025.

All of the books can be read on the Internet Archive website. There is a helpful search function. The books can also be downloaded (I chose the PDF format for Jerome Gambit.)

So - the Jerome Gambit book is not Edward Winter's creation, and I continue to research who the author might be. 

Two Knights Good Night

What to do, on the way to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), if you meet the Two Knights defense, instead?

Some will answer: sacrfice, anyway!

Guest2711112842 - Guest2432796094

Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

My personal preference when facing the Two Knights defense has been to play 4.Nc3 and to hope for 4...Bc5, allowing the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit with 5.Bxf7+.

Also check out "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense" Parts 1, 2, 3, 4. 

4.Bxf7+

Some players strike first, in a sort of an impatient Jerome Gambit.

From the 2024 post "Jerome Gambit: Impatience"

Four years ago, in the blog post "Unasked Questions" I looked at the Two Knights line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+ and commented 

This line doesn't have a name, as far as I know, but it might as well be "the impatient Jerome Gambit". The earliest game that I have with it in The Database is from 2001, but it has to be much older than that. My research is lacking here.

Subsequently (see "Jerome Gambit: Facing Up to 4.Bxf7+ in the Two Knights [Part 2]"), thanks to Dr. Timothy Harding's UltraCorr 3A (2010) collection of correspondence chess games, I uncovered Draper, Dr - Child, AW., Belfast - Dublin team correspondence match-2 1891-2, an earlier game with that "impatient" line.

4....Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6 

White has sacrificed two pieces for two pawns. He is counting on his opponent's shaky King - and possible uneasiness in a strange position - to arrive at some compensation,

7.e5 Nd5 8.Qf3+ 

8...Ke6 

Stepping into danger to protect his attacked Knight.

A much safer alternative is 8...Nf6, giving some of the sacrificed back.

9.c4 Bb4+ 10.Kf1 

It may not be readily apparent, but this square is the best for the King.

10...Nxd4 

Not looking into the position deep enough. Blitz?

11.Qxd5+ Kf5 

Ouch. The problem with 11...Ke7 is 12.Bg5+ and White loses his King.

12.Qf7+ Ke4 

Interposing with 12...Qf6 will still lead to checkmate. 

13.Qf4+ Kd3 14.b3 Rf8 15.Qe3+ Kc2 16.Na3+ Bxa3 17.Qd2 checkmate

Very nice!

Jerome Gambit: When Opportunity Knocks

When opportunity knocks, it is best to answer.

Black's slip on his 7th move was the first knock.

His tumble on the 17the move was the final knock.

The door to checkmate was then opened.

JeromeGambitOnly - nicovpaterakis

5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Ng6 

It is possible that Black just mixed up defensive ideas here.

Best was the Annoying Defense, 7...d6 8.fxe5 dxe5, the vexation of many Jerome Gambit players (see 1 and 2 for starters).

8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc4+ 

White also has the pawn fork 9.f5+, i.e. 9...Kd7 10.Qb5+ c6 11.Qe2 Ne5 12.d4 Nf7 13.O-O with a better game.

9...Ke7 10.Nc3 Nxf4 

Black can take this pawn, as long as he defends well afterward.

11.O-O Be6 12.Nd5+ Nxd5 13.exd5 

Black is up a piece and a pawn.

White has some compensation, in terms of open lines against the enemy King.

13...Bd7 

Blame it on blitz.

The correct retreat for the Bishop was the other way, 13...Bf7, when White would have to work to keep the game in hand. 

Stockfish 16.1 suggests 14.b3 Kf8 15.Bb2 h5 (15...Nf6 16.Rxf6!? gxf6 17.Qf4 Kg8 18.Bxf6 Qd7 19.Bc3 Re8 20.Qg5+ Bg6 21.Rf1 White is better) 16.Rae1 Nf6 17.Qf4 Kg8 18.Re3 h4 19.h3 Rh6 20.Qxh6!? gxh6 21.Bxf6 Qf8 22.Bxh4 Qg7 23.Rg3 Bg6 24.Rf6 Kh7 25.c4 a6 26.Rgxg6 Qxg6 27.Rxg6 Kxg6 and Black has the exchange for two pawns.

14.Qe4+ Be6 15.Qxe6 checkmate

 

Searching for "Jerome Gambit" on the Chinese "Baidu" search page returned the following information, in Google translation

Jerome GambitIt is an opening variation in chess, belonging to...Italy's start(ECO code C50This branch is characterized by sacrificing pieces to gain initiative. The following is key information:

Opening characteristics

• Starting moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7 + Kxf7 5. Nxe5 + Nxe5 6. Qh5 + Ke6
• Core strategy: White creates an offensive by sacrificing her queenside bishop (4.Bxf7+) and knight (5.Nxe5+), and Black can easily fall into a passive position if she doesn't respond properly.1

Typical game example

• December 14, 2023Mexicanga(1675 points) CorrectaboboraIn a rapid game of chess (1743 points), White used this opening, and Black ultimately won.1
• March 16, 2021JeromeGambitOnly(1234 points) CorrectRodes95In a super-fast game (1503 points), White made several mistakes, leading to Black losing within the time limit.2

History and Controversy

• This opening is considered high-risk (White suffers piece losses) and is often used in fast games or instructional examples; it is rarely seen in actual matches.12

It is easy to help the translation of "Italy's start" to the Italian OpeningI was not able to find the games Mexicanga - Correctaboorain, 2023 

and JeromeGambitOnly - CorrectRodes95, 2021 in The Database, 

so I have some more research to do.